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how do your evenings go? (help!)

The past few weeks when we bring Lilah home from the sitter she just wants to veg out in front of the TV. That's been sort of ok with me because I need to nurse the baby at the same time and DH is getting dinner ready. But it's the only time I see her on work days. I've tried to get her to play, but she's not into it and is just in a funk. I also want her to take a bath some nights and she's just screaming at me the whole time I wash her hair, but she smells like hot sweaty kid.

I need some ideas. What can I do to circumvent these evening crankies? We get home around 5:45 pm and she wants to be glued to the TV until dinner time and then she goes off for her bedtime routine around 7:00 pm. I know she's worn out, but I also don't want her watching this much TV.

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

I'm not working, but I hear you on the worn out kid. When I pick Kate up from school, we usually play on the playground for awhile after and by the time we get home, she is wiped out and grumpy.

It is frustrating because I feel like the school gets the best parts of her and we are left with an emotional, frustrated mess at the end of the day.

We don't do TV with her during the week (except an occasional movie night). When she gets home, sometimes she just needs a little time on her own, drawing, books, etc. Then she helps me with dinner sometimes. We will also do baths as soon as we get home if it's bath night, then get in our pj's.

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

I try to do the bath as soon as we get home, but it's drama drama drama. I can't do it in the morning because we basically get her up, get breakfast in her and then leave. I work from 7:30 AM to 5 PM, and we're out of the house by 7 am, home at 5:40 at the earliest.

As it gets hotter out, we're going to need to do a bath every day, I think. Right now I'm only working 3 days a week, and if I can keep it at that, possibly I would be willing to let her have a bath only on the second day I work, as long as she doesn't have too much sand in her hair.

Maybe I'll work on her helping out with dinner. It's just the only time I have with her and I do need to nurse the baby at the same time...

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

Stephen is Senor GrumpyPants in the evenings too. It is very frustrating.

We don't do TV either. He helps my husband, if possible, w/ dinner. Or sometimes if Maggie happens to not need to nurse RIGHT THEN, I will play with him instead.

He now likes baths, so we do that after dinner. He starts chanting "ba-ba-ba!"

Sorry, I'm not much help. Evenings are really hard and stress me out. I feel the same as PP about school "getting the best part" of him. Sometimes if I get off work early, I get S out of his room (at daycare) first and take him out to the playground and play. We have a great time. Last night we were at a barbeque, and he stayed up waaaaay past his bedtime - did surprisingly well.

Maybe getting her outside would be an option? Could you nurse Trixie outside while Lilah runs around?

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

Tracie when Silas started getting grumpy about bath, I invited him into the shower with me and it was like I took him to Disneyworld. He thought it was the COOLEST thing. Now he gets a choice if he wants a bath or a shower with daddy. He hasn't protested once since we started that (knock on wood).
As for the TV, I'm guilty of it too . But we have started turning off the TV after one episode of Sesame Street and turning on dance music or pulling out the lego table. I can sit and nurse L while sitting and building with legos with S. But it doesn't always work out that way and sometimes he has days where he watches too much tv. Not ideal, but

I'm Colleen
Mama to
Silas born May 2009 ~ Nursed 18 mos, weaned during pregnancy, unweaned at 24 months, still nursing when he feels like it
Lola born March 2011 ~ The Mary Lou Retton of toddler nursing
Married to Brandon
Using cloth on both bums

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

She's terrified of the shower. Although maybe she would get in it after work with me if it was something she and I did by ourselves for a few minutes. I've been wondering if part of this is that she isn't getting any alone time with me on work days and if that's the issue.

I've started giving her a snack in the car, and that seems to be helping a little bit. Maybe I can find something that is 5 or 10 minutes long per episode, tell her she can watch that... or maybe I can just deal with the tantrum over saying that it's not TV time right now.

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

Originally Posted by @llli*mommy2lilah

She's terrified of the shower. Although maybe she would get in it after work with me if it was something she and I did by ourselves for a few minutes. I've been wondering if part of this is that she isn't getting any alone time with me on work days and if that's the issue.

Bummer. Can you turn down the water pressure so it's more trickling? Like a sprinkler?

I'm Colleen
Mama to
Silas born May 2009 ~ Nursed 18 mos, weaned during pregnancy, unweaned at 24 months, still nursing when he feels like it
Lola born March 2011 ~ The Mary Lou Retton of toddler nursing
Married to Brandon
Using cloth on both bums

Re: how do your evenings go? (help!)

Originally Posted by @llli*mommy2lilah

I've started giving her a snack in the car, and that seems to be helping a little bit. Maybe I can find something that is 5 or 10 minutes long per episode, tell her she can watch that... or maybe I can just deal with the tantrum over saying that it's not TV time right now.

I think snacks definitely help circumvent meltdowns. I know I am crabby as all get out when I'm hungry.

Does she know how to turn the TV on manually? If not, can you just take out the batteries to the remote and tell her the TV's broken?